Spring is Springing Up All Over!

I know that Mr. Groundhog said spring is just around the corner . . . but seriously?  This picture was taken yesterday, Wednesday, February 27th, showing my tulips about 6 weeks too early for Nebraska!  They have been covered by snow twice but seem no worse the wear.  If there were flower buds, that would be a different story.

My daffodils are up about 2 inches but currently are under a pile of shoveled snow.

Hmmmm . . . maybe I should lift my thyme plant and check on my crocus!

P.S.  The white blog in the bottom left corner of the picture is snow.

A Cracked Pot in Need of Dirt Therapy!

Another year of winter yo yo-ing . . .
up and down
teens to the 60's
and back again!

I'm so confused . . .
not really . . .
but my perennial flowers
and bulbs
are totally confused!

Having not cleaned up my flowerbeds last fall,
I spent a recent warm (50's) Saturday
cutting back dead foliage
I know . . .
I probably should have waited
but my spring fever took control
I couldn't stand looking
at death
any longer
and I didn't think
about what I would find!
So I began . . .
mums
herbs
other perennials . . .
when what to my wondering eyes did appear?
New life emerging
everywhere
beneath death!
Not to worry, though . . .
mums are hardy plants!

Yo Yo Down! 

The temps dropped
to "normal" Nebraska winter temps
or at least what I remember
as normal Nebraska winter temps!
It's been a while
the memory's a little fuzzy!

Add a 6-inch snowfall.

Good, that will keep plants and bulbs in their place!
NOT!

Yo Yo Up!

Out of their warm, earthy beds
daffodils up an inch . . .
early.
Tulips up a half inch . . .
way too early!

So what's a mother to do?
Send them all back to bed?

The arrival of seed
and flower catalogs . . . 
that's like waving a green flag
in the face of a gardener
teasing me to egg on
springs arrival!

But
soon
and very soon :-)
early, cool-weather veggies
will fill my raised veggie bed.

For now
I'm trusting God
to wake up spring
and my daffodils
and my tulips
and my mums
and all my other perennials 
in due season!

I'm trusting . . .
But I'm not so patiently
waiting
waiting
waiting
for dirt therapy!
Let it begin . . . SOON!

The Whole Earth . . .

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all.
The whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:3 NIRV

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall's New Beginnings!

Fall is my MOST favorite season . . .
crisp temps and amazing colors.  AND I love the physical work 
involved in putting my yard and flowerbeds to bed for the winter . . .

which I began 2 weeks ago.

 
 
Project #1  . . .  my iris bed . . .

BEFORE

 

AFTER
This bed is now home for my new Tall Bearded Iris Collection. 
The tall bearded iris will bloom late spring to early summer and
re-bloom midsummer to frost!  Mature Height:  24-40"

Project #2 . . .

 

  BEFORE

Daffodils never really bloomed, as were too deep.  I put
off transplanting them as I did not want to disturb the sedum . . .

or the bed in general.  Cranberry bush was dying a slow death
the past couple of years, so  . . .
decided this was the year to disturb this bed!

 

 

 AFTER

I replanted a few daffodils at the rounded end of this bed.

In the middle, I replanted 100 tulips. 
After the daffodils and tulips bloom, I will plant annuals.

 

 

 

 Project #3 . . . mail box . . .

 

BEFORE



We put in a new mail box this spring and moved it toward
the drive.  The creeping phlox, beautiful for many years,

 "bit the dust" during this year's drought.
There was also a large clump of daffodils that needed attention.

 

WORK IN PROGRESS . . .

my husband, Ken, and our gardening buddy,
Sir Oliver.

 

 

 AFTER
I replanted some of the daffodils around the mailbox post.  I'm thinking
about taking the red rooster grass from the pot
on my front porch and planting it to the right side of this bed.
This bed will be home to annuals . . . I think :-)

Project #4 . . .

BEFORE
A couple of years ago, we extended the front edge of this bed
into the front yard.  Needing to dig up a couple of patches of
tulips and a patch of daffodils this fall was
motivation to finally get the sod dug out!!!

AFTER

This bed is the new home of the iris in the first picture,

along with tulips and daffodils.


For the past 35 years, I have purchased all of
my flower bulbs exclusively from Brecks, along with my new tall bearded iris.
My other iris were given to me by a friend. 

This fall . . .1/3 of my iris, tulips, and daffodils have found a new home
in my daughter's yard . . . another 1/3 in my daughter-in-law's yard!
 

New mulch will be added next spring to all my flowerbeds.
 

ONE Reason . . .

The warm, rich color of mums . . .

ONE reason why Fall is my MOST favorite season!

 

 

Red Rooster Grass stayed but geraniums

replaced with mums!  LOVE this combo!

 

 

 

No words needed!

 

For many years, I planted marigolds in this spot

because they are heat and drought tolerant . . . BUT

they need to be deadheaded  :-(

Then, for several years, I planted vincas . . .

heat and drought tolerant and they deadhead themselves  :-)

I purchased these mums from Lowe's the fall of 2011 . . .

tiny plants in 4" pots, 88 cents each . . .

but look at them now! 

(P.S.  Do you see my gardening buddy?)

 



 

Mums . . . new this year from Lowe's ($2.48 each)

in my half-whisky barrel with solar bug zapper!

 

 

 

Rain . . . Hail . . . Beautiful Clouds

We got about a 20 minute, fairly heavy rain tonight.  I don't know how much because our electronic rain gauge is not working.  Need to put the reliable plastic tube gauge back out.  Along with the rain, we had 10 minutes of hail . . . pea-size to marble size . . . which melted quickly.

Took these pictures of the storm clouds from my deck . . . as they headed east.  I so love Nebraska skies! 

Night Raider & Sunflowers

A year ago, a critter(s) raided our fish pond on 2 different nights, enjoying a gold fish snack, . . . not the Pepperidge Farm variety unfortunately.  During this week-long, fish eating contest, our neighbor's pond and our brother-in-law's pond were also targeted.  All 3 ponds are within 3 blocks of each other. 

Ken rented a trap from Animal Control and 2 opossums were caught, which Animal Control picked up at no charge to us.  When we asked Animal Control what they would do with the opossums, we were told that they are required to release them in the general vicinity.  We were hoping they would deliver them to Wilderness Park.

So, a year ago Ken put lights (electric eye for on/off) in the bottom of the pond, which run all night and seemed to deter our night visitors... UNTIL yesterday morning (Sunday).  We woke up to this . . .

After Sunday morning's raid.

Before the raid.



Murky water and 4 fish remaining of 5.

Water lily remains.   All leaves were severed from the plants. 
The 2 plants in the 2 round pots were torn out of the pots,
which Ken has repotted.All the water lilies have been
put "to bed" early for the winter.
 

On a happier note, I planted a package of mixed color sunflowers. 

Here are my first 2 blooms . . .